Villas in Bali, Indonesia

Bali is Indonesia’s most popular tourist location and is considered one of Asia's premier tropical island destinations. Steeped in history and renowned for its artistic way of life, Bali is a peaceful contrast to some of the more frantic destinations Asia has to offer.

The inner peace and creative talents of the Balinese has attracted artists the world over fascinated by local dancers, silversmiths, wood carvers, potters and painters that seem to pervade throughout the island. The abundant verdant fields and surrounding sea have long supplied Bali with an easy surplus of food leaving time for life’s more artistic past times. As a result everything in Bali has a creative and religious element centred around the local Banjar (residents association) – little, adorned temples are everywhere, doors are covered in intricate carvings, huge kites ward off evil spirits and colourful roadside ceremonies bring traffic to a standstill.

Bali is a popular destination principally from Australia and Asia but also from all over Europe. The island welcomes thousands of visitors each year to a relaxing lifestyle, stunning beaches, world class surf, vibrant villages, and spectacular scenery all with an exquisite tropical climate. Located approximately two hours’ flying time from Singapore the island is serviced by an international airport at Denpasar with direct flights to and from many major cities in Asia, Europe and Australia and many more via Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital.

The island offers an impressive range of leisure and lifestyle amenities including world-class golf courses, wonderful seascapes for surfing, diving and snorkelling as well as luxurious spas, chic boutiques, tropical forests, towering volcanoes and international cuisine.

Cosy, central and very, very private are the three adjectives we’d use to describe Villa Sea. For one couple, two couples or a family of four this represents great value for money considering the location. You literally cannot get any more central than this. It’s compact, sure, but it’s a perfectly formed sun trap that can’t fail to win you with its charm.

The kitchenette is good for preparing the occasional simple meal and the Casa Gourmet supermarket next door makes this option easy and attractive. After watching the sunset from the beach we had an evening in for a change and enjoyed a good pasta and a bottle of red by the pool. The beckoning restaurants will probably win most of the time, however, and you'll be spoiled for choice with the numbers of fine establishments within walking distance.

What a happy place Villa Sun is. With sun sculptures and sun-shaped chandeliers everywhere, we were in holiday mood from the moment we stepped inside. For a two-bedroom villa in deepest Seminyak, with a pool on one side and a small lawn on the other, we wanted for nothing. And not only is there a supermarket within 100m, but it’s one of the island’s best stocked, so we could get all our gourmet goodies without having to break a sweat. It’s a short stroll to the beach along a quiet set of lanes, which are virtually traffic free so no headaches there. Make sure you get down to the beach at cocktail hour for a sunset sky show that will leave you breathless. Then it’s just a short walk back to Seminyak’s famous restaurants and nightspots.

I’m moving in! Put it another way, I don’t want to leave Villa Adasa, ever. Within moments of our arrival, the sounds of the gamelan gave way to early Dylan rasping from the Sonos sound system. How did they KNOW he’s this reviewer’s all-time favourite? Mind-reading was clearly second nature for Villa Adasa’s staff, who seemed to know what we wanted before we did, but were just as adept at giving us complete privacy when that was called for too. While this is a great villa for a family as well as for friends/couples sharing, Villa Adasa manages to achieve a rare intimacy that would make it equally appealing to a couple looking to splurge on space. Villa Adasa delights 24/7. Daytime, we were faced with the taxing decision of whether to dive into an ocean of colourful cushions carpeting the double bale (gazebo), relax on the loungers by the pool, strip to bare essentials on the sun-deck above, or remain supine on the myriad sofas in the living pavilion. At sundown it was no contest; the best place to soak up Bali’s famous purple-hued sunset was from the loveseat on the master bedroom loggia. The night-time atmosphere at Villa Adasa is charming, thanks to its clever ambient lighting and comfortable living area. So dining presented us with an equally weighty dilemma: Do we select from the excellent menu and have our accomplished villa chef whip up a five-course meal or seafood barbecue for us, or do we wander out and take our pick from the many world-class restaurants within moments of the villa? We loved hanging out in the huge master bedroom suite and enjoyed the best night’s sleep thanks to a fabulously comfy bed, luxury goose-down duvet and pillows and high thread-count cotton sateen bed linen. The Sonos music system was swish, and being able to control it from our phone and laptop was pretty cool. And it was heaven having such a wonderful library of coffee table books and glossy magazines to browse. All in all, staying here was like breathing pure oxygen — I was on a permanent health-inducing ‘high’ throughout our all-too-short-stay.

If you like your villas sleek and polished then you are going to love the gleaming surfaces and modern fixtures of Villa Adenium. I found myself constantly sliding my hands over the glossy furnishings and marvelling at the smooth surfaces under foot. Constructed in 2006, the villa has been beautifully maintained and everything feels so shiny and new, it could have been built just yesterday. The hard angles of the design were a little sharp for our taste, but the effect was softened in the evenings with the gentle glow of down-lights, hurricane lamps and wonderful wall lights stencilled from black steel. Views were limited from the ground floor and the pool takes up most of the outdoor space, leaving little room for a garden, but it is still a great spot for lounging, especially while sprawled across cushions in the balé. The views were better upstairs and our favourite spot was on the veranda, where we could ensconce ourselves in the comfy planters chairs, with feet resting on the foot stools – perfectly positioned for a sundowner!

Bedrooms are in the style of contemporary hotel suites, comfortable, minimalist and immaculate – if you’re looking for a rustic homely vibe this is not really the villa for you! With three floors to spread out across, the villa has plenty of space, and the well-equipped basement is an added bonus, especially for ping pong masters such as ourselves. The deliciously fluffy breakfast pancakes served with ornately carved tropical fruit and excellent coffee also deserve a mention.

This luxury hillcrest villa packs a punch with its panoramic views across Jimbaran Bay. We soaked up the vista from Aiko’s infinity pool, second-level terraces, enormous find-me-if-you-can bed – even from our bathtub-for-two!

If you’re looking for traditional Bali-style architecture, Villa Aiko may not be your first choice. But while resolutely city-chic contemporary in design, the villa makes abundant use of natural materials in its construction - think reclaimed ironwood and river-stone walls, teakwood floors, Benkirai-wood decking and ironwood shingle roof. And the essence of Bali is evident in the charming and attentive-but-discreet staff.

The villa manager/executive chef Putu was an absolute treasure. He was completely unfazed by my vegetarian request and created a memorable dinner – spring rolls, pumpkin and basil soup, beetroot and orange appetiser, and Portobello mushrooms en croute with perfectly cooked vegetables and the best mashed potatoes in Bali. And his Eggs Florentine – the egg poached to perfection, the Hollandaise cancelling days of dedicated Pilates practice – was a fabulous way to kick-start the morning. No wonder some guests stay away from Jimbaran Bay’s seafood restaurants and choose instead to eat in every day, as the visitor’s book attests.

We think Aiko would be a great villa for large family groups. There are so many independent seating areas to break away to for some peace and quiet, and it’s great to find a library in a Bali villa; we really appreciated the wide choice of books. Though all four bedrooms have king-size beds – no twins – there’s a single bed discreetly designed into the foot of each bed. We thought the fourth bedroom might be best for kids (who tend not to be so view-hungry) as the outlook is partly blocked by the guest pavilion and spiral staircase. One note of caution: there are steep drops from the pool and terraces but, thankfully for parents, glass barriers line both second floor terraces.

This out-of-town villa is a little gem that offers the best of both worlds. On the one hand you will find all the serenity and peace that you would expect from a countryside location, together with the enchantment of a Balinese village, yet you are only five kilometres from the centre of Ubud, where there is plenty to do, including shopping, sightseeing, trekking, river rafting and eating out. The villa itself is romantic, charming and furnished with love, but don’t expect anything too high-tech or lots of fancy facilities because that’s not what Villa Alamanda is about. It’s more about rustic charm than funky architecture, and yes there might be one or two things that could be better maintained, but this is reflected in a very reasonable price. We found the staff to be efficient and friendly, and the chef’s cooking is excellent.

We found Villa Anjali Green to be a great solution for four people with different needs: near the beach/away from the crowds; a good kitchen for self-caterers/prefer to be cooked for/prefer dining out; love air conditioning/love fresh air; don’t want to be waited on hand and foot/need a cleaning staff … and don’t forget the pool. The villa also managed to very successfully combine modern architecture with natural materials, Indonesian textiles and ethnic art.

The visual focus of Anjali Green is the garden and pool, which gives a wonderful tropical atmosphere to the living and dining areas. Comfortable rattan lounge chairs on a wooden deck at the far end of the pool allow serene sun-bathing for two, but the lawn beside the pool was big enough for all four of to play ball.

We found the two bedrooms to be very quiet and comfortable. Some of us enjoyed the gentle haze of morning light coming through the fine curtains; others liked being able to shut out the light and sleep till noon without disturbance. The outdoor shower areas were great, with rain showers and hot water that comes on instantly (unlike in many older properties in Bali!). We appreciated the sturdy timber desks that are big enough to work at, with room for a laptop and files next to the flat-screen TV, and intelligently placed electrical outlets next to the desk. We loved the Balinese touches, such as the repousée metal boxes – fashioned in the manner of Balinese offerings boxes – in the bathrooms and kitchen for odds and ends, and the fresh frangipani blossoms placed around the rooms when we first arrived.

The villa manager stayed on till late in the evening, way past his hours, just to welcome us; and the security staff were very helpful, calling us a taxi when we wanted to go out in the evening. Housekeepers were friendly and courteous, with ever-ready big Balinese smiles.

Villa Anjali Purple is a gem-like hideaway; a bit of a love nest. We loved the clean, contemporary architecture, the Indonesian textiles, ethnic art and the sense of privacy and independence. It was great to be so near the Petitenget scene with its beach and restaurants, and yet go back to somewhere peaceful and quiet. The villas are so well designed that despite their proximity, one is not aware of other guests.

Villa Anjali Purple’s open-air plan fills the living and dining space with the light and colour of the small garden. We thought this villa was the prettiest of the four in the Anjali complex. The purple colour scheme is surprisingly well-handled and gives the villa an opulent feel. The rich grey marble floors deepen the feeling of luxury.

We felt at home as soon as we’d unpacked. The bedroom is comfortably furnished; the hot water in the bathroom comes on instantly (unlike in many older properties) and there was plenty of storage in the dressing area. We applaud the sturdy timber desks that are big enough to work at, with room for a laptop and files next to the flat-screen TV, and intelligently placed electrical outlets alongside.

We enjoyed being able to stock the kitchen with our favourite provisions from the up-scale Bali Deli supermarket (about 6km) and slipping over to the madly wonderful Potato Head Beach Club (2km) for lunch, a swim in the pool, and a long walk along the beach. In the evening it was easy to order a taxi and fully indulge in Seminyak’s nightlife.

A swim in the villa’s pool was fresh in the morning, a perfect way to un-wind after shopping, and deliciously private at night. There was only one sun lounger, but we just spread a beach towel on the lawn.

The housekeeping staff were friendly and courteous, with big Balinese smiles. We also felt well-looked after by the gracious and competent villa manager. But guests are mainly left to their own devices.

Five minutes after our arrival at Arnalaya Beach House we felt we had found our place in the world! Lovers of light, bright homes will love this villa. Each room has floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors on two walls, which bathe it in an orgy of natural sunlight.

The staff are very professional and it was the talented chef himself who served our delicious meals, giving us an explanation of the magic he had worked in the kitchen on our behalf.

The bedrooms have a double set of blinds to keep out the morning sun, making it very tempting to sleep with the doors open, listening to the sound of the sea. With a three-man security team on the premises, you can rest perfectly at ease.

Don’t come here expecting to get any work done. A stay at Arnalaya Beach House is all about enjoying yourself – with a bit of tennis, a gym workout and a spa treatment thrown into the mix – while letting the ‘rhythm of the waves’ wash over you.

It is difficult to pinpoint what’s best about The Arsana Estate. During our stay the chef cooked an exquisite dinner which was served fabulously by the staff. With the windows open, the sound of the waterfall and distant wildlife and a gentle breeze drifting in it was a delight. The so-cool pool leads off into the jungle, and with the Boss sound system cranked up, a G&T in hand and a masseuse on call, what more could one ask?

The staff were a pleasure – especially the villa manager – always attentive and smiling but nicely discreet. We could hardly believe it when the manager chased us on his motorbike for seven kilometres to return our laptop cable after we checked out. Such care! The bedrooms have superb views, ‘top’ bathrooms and ever-so-comfortable beds: closing the blackout curtains led to a deeply enjoyable but totally unplanned lie in!

Game of billards? DVD on the big screen? Walk in the village? There’s so much to do and yet it’s so easy to chill. To be honest there was no one thing that makes this villa shine, it all works really well and we could not recommend it enough.